The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is expected to protest outside the offices of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) in Pretoria on Friday morning. The party is demanding that the Authority approves the use of vaccines from Russia and China.
Party leader Julius Malema says they will give the health regulator seven days to give Sinovac and Sputnik V the green light for emergency use in the country.
He says if SAHPRA fails to do this, the party will stage a sit-in outside the house of SAHPRA’s CEO.
We are ready to march to save lives of our people tomorrow.
Join us at 10h00 at SAHPRA Head Office, Building A, Loftus Park, 402 Kirkness Str, Arcadia. #MarchToSaveLives pic.twitter.com/CP6bA2vvSf
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) June 24, 2021
SAHPRA to assess efficacy of Sinopharm vaccine
The health regulator said on Wednesday it had received documentation for China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine and will evaluate the data to assess the efficacy of the shot.
Now in the grip of a third wave of infections, South Africa is inoculating its population with Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines, but the rollout has been slow partly due to setbacks in supply.
Additional report by Reuters
